Method and apparatus for reducing sample dispersion in turns and junctions of microchannel systems

Griffiths, Stewart K; Nilson, Robert H

Title: Method and apparatus for reducing sample dispersion in turns and junctions of microchannel systems

Abstract

The performance of microchannel devices is improved by providing turns, wyes, tees, and other junctions that produce little dispersions of a sample as it traverses the turn or junction. The reduced dispersion results from contraction and expansion regions that reduce the cross-sectional area over some portion of the turn or junction. By carefully designing the geometries of these regions, sample dispersion in turns and junctions is reduced to levels comparable to the effects of ordinary diffusion. A numerical algorithm was employed to evolve low-dispersion geometries by computing the electric or pressure field within candidate configurations, sample transport through the turn or junction, and the overall effective dispersion. These devices should greatly increase flexibility in the design of microchannel devices by permitting the use of turns and junctions that do not induce large sample dispersion. In particular, the ability to fold electrophoretic and electrochrornatographic separation columns will allow dramatic improvements in the miniaturization of these devices. The low-lispersion devices are particularly suited to electrochromatographic and electrophoretic separations, as well as pressure-driven chromatographic separation. They are further applicable to microfluidic systems employing either electroosrnotic or pressure-driven flows for sample transport, reaction, mixing, dilution or synthesis.

Inventors:

Griffiths, Stewart K ^[1]; Nilson, Robert H ^[2]

Danville, CA
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA

Issue Date:: 2001-01-01

Research Org.:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 873908

Patent Number(s):: 6270641

Assignee:: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY

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Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
Y10S366/03 - Micromixers

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY
B01J2219/00853 - Employing electrode arrangements

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01F - MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING
B01F2215/0037 - Mixers used as laboratory equipment, e.g. for analyzing, testing and investigating chemical, physical or biological properties of materials

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY
B01J2219/00912 - by electrophoresis

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01F - MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING
B01F13/0059 - {Micromixers}

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01L - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
B01L2400/084 - Passive control of flow resistance

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY
B01J2219/00833 - Plastic
B01J2219/00831 - Glass
B01J2219/00916 - by chromatography

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01L - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
B01L2400/0487 - fluid pressure, pneumatics

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
Y10S366/02 - Micromixers

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01F - MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING
B01F5/0647 - {Mixers with bended, curved, coiled, wounded mixing tubes or comprising elements for bending the flow}

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
G01N30/6086 - {form designed to optimise dispersion}

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01F - MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING
B01F5/0403 - {Mixing conduits or tubes, i.e. conduits or tubes through which the main component is flown

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01L - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
B01L2400/0415 - electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY
B01J2219/00957 - Compositions or concentrations
B01J19/0093 - {Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01F - MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING
B01F5/0652 - {Mixers with a converging-diverging cross-section}

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
G01N30/6065 - {with varying cross section}
G01N30/6095 - {Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize}
G01N27/44791 - {Microapparatus

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01L - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
B01L3/502746 - {characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
G01N2030/285 - {electrically driven carrier}

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01F - MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING
B01F5/0646 - {Mixers composed of several consecutive mixing tubes

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01L - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
B01L2300/0816 - Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY
B01J2219/00828 - Silicon wafers or plates

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DOE Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: method; apparatus; reducing; sample; dispersion; junctions; microchannel; systems; performance; devices; improved; providing; wyes; tees; produce; dispersions; traverses; junction; reduced; results; contraction; expansion; regions; reduce; cross-sectional; portion; carefully; designing; geometries; levels; comparable; effects; ordinary; diffusion; numerical; algorithm; employed; evolve; low-dispersion; computing; electric; pressure; field; candidate; configurations; transport; overall; effective; greatly; increase; flexibility; design; permitting; induce; particular; ability; fold; electrophoretic; electrochrornatographic; separation; columns; allow; dramatic; improvements; miniaturization; low-lispersion; particularly; suited; electrochromatographic; separations; pressure-driven; chromatographic; applicable; microfluidic; employing; electroosrnotic; flows; reaction; mixing; dilution; synthesis; sample transport; separation column; particularly suited; chromatographic separation; separation columns; systems employing; electrophoretic separations; channel systems; microfluidic systems; systems employ; greatly increase; electrophoretic separation; separation colum; channel device; /204/422/

Citation Formats


                    Griffiths, Stewart K, and Nilson, Robert H. Method and apparatus for reducing sample dispersion in turns and junctions of microchannel systems.  United States: N. p., 2001. 
        Web.

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                    Griffiths, Stewart K, & Nilson, Robert H. Method and apparatus for reducing sample dispersion in turns and junctions of microchannel systems.  United States.

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                    Griffiths, Stewart K, and Nilson, Robert H. Mon .  
        "Method and apparatus for reducing sample dispersion in turns and junctions of microchannel systems".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/873908.

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@article{osti_873908,

  title        = {Method and apparatus for reducing sample dispersion in turns and junctions of microchannel systems},

  author       = {Griffiths, Stewart K and Nilson, Robert H},

  abstractNote = {The performance of microchannel devices is improved by providing turns, wyes, tees, and other junctions that produce little dispersions of a sample as it traverses the turn or junction. The reduced dispersion results from contraction and expansion regions that reduce the cross-sectional area over some portion of the turn or junction. By carefully designing the geometries of these regions, sample dispersion in turns and junctions is reduced to levels comparable to the effects of ordinary diffusion. A numerical algorithm was employed to evolve low-dispersion geometries by computing the electric or pressure field within candidate configurations, sample transport through the turn or junction, and the overall effective dispersion. These devices should greatly increase flexibility in the design of microchannel devices by permitting the use of turns and junctions that do not induce large sample dispersion. In particular, the ability to fold electrophoretic and electrochrornatographic separation columns will allow dramatic improvements in the miniaturization of these devices. The low-lispersion devices are particularly suited to electrochromatographic and electrophoretic separations, as well as pressure-driven chromatographic separation. They are further applicable to microfluidic systems employing either electroosrnotic or pressure-driven flows for sample transport, reaction, mixing, dilution or synthesis.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2001},

  month        = {1}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

Coiled columns and resolution in gas chromatography
journal, January 1960

Calvin Giddings, J.
Journal of Chromatography A, Vol. 3
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9673(01)97046-3

Dispersion Sources for Compact Geometries on Microchips
journal, September 1998

Culbertson, Christopher T.; Jacobson, Stephen C.; Ramsey, J. Michael
Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 70, Issue 18
https://doi.org/10.1021/ac9804487

Free boundary problem of ECM by alternating-field technique on inverted plane
journal, November 1975

Nilson, R. H.; Tsuei, Y. G.
Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 6, Issue 3
https://doi.org/10.1016/0045-7825(75)90020-1

Effects of Injection Schemes and Column Geometry on the Performance of Microchip Electrophoresis Devices
journal, April 1994

Jacobson, Stephen C.; Hergenroder, Roland.; Koutny, Lance B.
Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 66, Issue 7
https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00079a028

Contribution of capillary coiling to zone dispersion in capillary zone electrophoresis
journal, January 1995

Kašička, Václav; Prusík, Zdeněk; Gaš, Bohuslav
Electrophoresis, Vol. 16, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.11501601332

Wormhole growth in soluble porous materials
journal, September 1990

Nilson, Robert H.; Griffiths, Stewart K.
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 65, Issue 13
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.1583

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Title: Method and apparatus for reducing sample dispersion in turns and junctions of microchannel systems

Abstract

Citation Formats

Coiled columns and resolution in gas chromatography journal, January 1960

Dispersion Sources for Compact Geometries on Microchips journal, September 1998

Free boundary problem of ECM by alternating-field technique on inverted plane journal, November 1975

Effects of Injection Schemes and Column Geometry on the Performance of Microchip Electrophoresis Devices journal, April 1994

Contribution of capillary coiling to zone dispersion in capillary zone electrophoresis journal, January 1995

Wormhole growth in soluble porous materials journal, September 1990

Coiled columns and resolution in gas chromatography
journal, January 1960

Dispersion Sources for Compact Geometries on Microchips
journal, September 1998

Free boundary problem of ECM by alternating-field technique on inverted plane
journal, November 1975

Effects of Injection Schemes and Column Geometry on the Performance of Microchip Electrophoresis Devices
journal, April 1994

Contribution of capillary coiling to zone dispersion in capillary zone electrophoresis
journal, January 1995

Wormhole growth in soluble porous materials
journal, September 1990